Arborist:
Tree Expert for tree health, wildlife habitat, natural cooling, beauty, and public safetyServices:
Resource Inventory: The Arborist visits a site and identifies the available tree species and may plot them on a graphic plan. This information can be used for development, planning and or conservation of habitat as well as compliance with environmental review lawsRisk Assessment: The arborist will visit the site, consider existing and proposed uses, identify potential targets, and attempt to inventory and predict hazardous trees.
A hazard tree is a tree likely to fail or collapse onto a target. Trees fall for varied reasons, from weak trunk or branch structure, to decay, senescence (aging with decay), death, and from weather such as heavy rain on foliage, snow, varying forces and directions of wind, snow, or human weight on a limb not strong enough for the mass, as in climbing a birch tree. Certain species of trees, such as eucalyptus, often shed limbs, and may damage targets below or nearby, even in mild weather. A target is anything or being that would be damaged from the collapse of a tree or part of a tree.Tree Protection: the Arborist writes reports, and specifies how to protect existing trees from the destructive impacts of construction, underground utilities, parking, paths and other forms of compaction or changes to its optimum soil and water relationships. For instance a chain link fence may be placed and monitored on a construction site to prevent parking, dumping of waste materials and other detrimental practices from damaging trees that are the attraction and shade providers to the property. In some towns, contractors are required to post bonds to assure protection and future longevity of desired existing trees.
The arborist makes recommendations to prune trees for aesthetics, function, or safety, including defensible space. And, one may urge the removal of risky trees, as well as trees that are not essential to the development, habitat and future use of a property.
Appraisal, loss and expert witness: Arborista may be hired to determine the value of damaged or lost trees and to help in investigations.

Maintenance and Enhancement:
Arborista also prunes specimen trees such as Japanese Maples, and will prune and train young ornamental or fruit trees for better growth, health and appearance.
Training: Arborista will train your maintenance crew or the client in either English or Spanish as to how to properly prune specific trees.
She has audited the pruning work of contractors to PG&E as well that of award winning landscape contractors and public grounds maintenance managers and crew.
Referrals/ links:
Tree removal contractors, registered professional forester, marketable timber, US Forest Service, UC Extension, firewood cutters.
Ed Cook Tree Service, South Lake Tahoe, CA

History: Arborista has taken care of and managed private and public trees since 1970 and participated in years of continuing education training and seminars with West Coast International Society of Arborists and has been a presenter at Firesafe Sonoma 1999 and to the Sonoma Marin chapter of California Landscape Contractors Association. For over two and a half years, she inventoried, notified owners and assigned work for PG&E’s vegetation management contractors of Sonoma County. She has also taught all ages of children and adults about tree biology and protection.